Cancer and cancer related inquires represent a significant portion of the ongoing research at the University of Massachusets Medical School. Approximately 3 million dollars are committed to cancer and cancer related projects. Thus there are a wide variety of excellent projects available for student participation through the R-25 program. The Cancer Education Committee has successfully facilitated medical student placement during the previous four years of R-25 support. There also exists at the University two other well established, effective mechanisms for recruiting and matching students and preceptors, the Committee for Medical Student Research and the Office of the Dean for Minority Academic and Community Affairs. The chairs of the two committees and the Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs will form the Cancer Assistantship Placement Committee (CAPC). This committee will recruit and match faculty who are conducting supported cancer and cancer related inquiries with pre-doctoral medical and minority students who are seeking health science careers. Students will be recruited from the incoming freshman class, and the second, third and fourth year classes. Minority college students who are interested in health science careers will be recruited through existing enrichment programs offered by the Medical Center. Our goal is to place ten students annually. An ongoing program evalulation will be conducted. It will address student performance in the research setting as well as the effectiveness of recruitment and placement methods.